Transportinfo.org.uk - today's transport news in the uk, hand picked for you each morning

Saturday, 16 January 2016

BBC News

• System to 'ease 999 ambulance pressure'Changes to the way non-urgent patient transport to and from hospital is commissioned will help ambulance services, Welsh ministers have said.
• Motorists charged over flood signsTen motorists are charged for ignoring road closure orders in place on an Aberdeenshire road following flooding, police say.
• Flight delayed by jammed traffic coneA flight from Aberdeen to Heathrow was delayed for nearly two hours on Thursday evening after the plane was damaged by a traffic cone.
• Crash tourist 'forgot to drive on left'A tourist who left a woman seriously injured after forgetting to drive on the left side of the road is fined �8,000.
• Road closures in Northern IrelandSnow and ice cause problems on roads in Northern Ireland.
• Drivers need 'extreme care' after snowDrivers should continue to take
• Police car pelted with rocks in M6 chaseA policeman is left with glass in his eye after his car is pelted with rocks by two men during a motorway pursuit.
• Grandmother disarms bus knife attackerA grandmother disarms a female attacker who lunged at her 15-year-old grandson with a knife on a bus in south London.
• High speed rail link plans 'shelved'Plans for a high-speed rail link between Glasgow and Edinburgh will now not be brought forward until a cross-border line is identified.
• Have we fallen out of love with the car?Richard Westcott: Are we really out of love with the car?
• Fuel surcharge, what fuel surcharge?Goodbye fuel surcharges, hello new charges
• European car sales rise 9.2% in 2015European car sales reached 14.2 million last year, but remained below levels prior to the economic crisis, industry figures show.

The Guardian

• High waves hamper search for 12 Marines after helicopters collide off HawaiiTransport helicopters crashed off island of Oahu just before midnightEach aircraft had six people on boardHigh waves have hampered the search for 12 US Marines missing at sea after two helicopters collided near the island of Oahu in Hawaii.Two coast guard cutters and several aircraft were involved in the search on Friday night, along with two US Navy warships and local police and fire department helicopters, the coast guard said. The debris field spanned more than seven miles off the coast. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Scotland's effort to tackle climate change has stalled, campaigners warn SCOTLAND'S efforts to tackle climate change have stalled, environmental campaigners have warned, after ministers slashed spending on green initiatives by tens of millions of pounds.

The Telegraph

• Britain's 'oldest driver' aged 103 who has never had an accidentCambridge grandfather Giovanni Rozzo has been driving for more than eight decades and has no intention of hanging up his car keys

Daily Record

• Drivers who ignored 'Road Closed' signs during floods charged and fined by cops TEN motorists have been booked in Aberdeenshire after they put their safety at risk by driving into deep water.

Mail Online

• Driver crashes �200,000 Ferrari 458 Italia into a Cyncoed garden wall in Cardiff The man lost control of his Ferrari 458 Italia, worth �200,000, on black ice on a street in Cardiff. No one was hurt in the crash but the damage done was enough to leave a lump in any car-lover's throat.
• Residents near Cotswold Airport terrified by mystery explosions Residents of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire were woken up by a string of explosions late on Tuesday night, with some locals reporting that the phenomenon made their homes shake.

This is Money

• Cyber security expert says Ford's plans to link cars to home-hubs risks hackers Ford's plans to link vehicles to appliances has come under fire from a cyber security guru who said the technology could make it easy for hackers to steal cars connected to homes.
• Volkswagen gets 9 What Car? Awards after the VW emissions scandal Despite being embroiled in the biggest industry scandal for a carmaker in history, it seems the VW Group's reputation is still firmly in tact after it dominated the 2016 What Car? Awards.

Birmingham Mail

• Cyclist wins �100,000 payout after road crash injuries forced him to quit jobHeath Marshall, 48, also suffered post traumatic stress after being hit by motorbike in Sutton Coldfield. 

Birmingham Post

• Audi A4 named Car of the Year in the 2016 What Car? Awards New Audi A4 is overall Car of the Year, with nearly half of all the category wins taken by Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen
• New Mercedes SLC orders will open at the end of January 2016 New look, new engines – and a new name

Bolton News

• 16 fire engines 'will have to be scrapped' in next 4 years as fire service faces �16 million in cuts CUTS to the regional fire service will reach �16 million over the next four years

London Evening Standard

• 'Useless' bike racks by Tube station were intended as public art, north London council insistsA set of "botched" bike racks installed too close together were intended as "public art", council bosses have claimed.
• Night Tube strikes: Union hints end to deadlock may be in sightOngoing talks to avert a series of crippling Tube strikes have been "useful", a union has said.
• When is the tube strike 2016? Dates, timings, and latest newsEverything you need to know about the upcoming three days of planned disruptions on the London Underground

Northern Echo

• Anger after traffic wardens targeted motorists on New Year's Day DRIVERS have protested after traffic wardens struck on New Year's Day, giving fines to vehicles thought to have been parked up by people enjoying seasonal festivities the night before.
• Shildon restorers reach milestone in Deltic locomotive's transformation ahead of Flying Scotsman event SHE may only be the support act to celebrity locomotive The Flying Scotsman but restorers are making every effort to get a legendary 1960s engine looking her best ahead of a highly anticipated exhibition.

Sheffield Telegraph

• WEATHER: Road temperatures could plunge to minus ten next weekGritters are tonight due to head out across Sheffield and Derbyshire - as road temperatures are next week set to drop to the lowest seen in two years.

The York Press

• Children given vital lessons in safety beside lorries CHILDREN have been learning about road safety with North Yorkshire County Council and large goods vehicles.
• 33 people died on North Yorkshire roads THE number of people killed on North Yorkshire's roads is the lowest it has been in 25 years.

Wales Online

• City traffic wardens could be issued with body cameras to capture 'abuse and violence' Cardiff council’s cabinet will meet next week to discuss the proposal for a pilot scheme to be given the go-ahead

Wolverhampton Express and Star

• 'Where were the gritters?' Furious drivers hit out as sleet catches Wolverhampton council off guardIcy conditions on Wolverhampton’s roads have resulted in major disruption, with frustrated drivers raising questions about the lack of grit.

Yorkshire Evening Post

• Leeds fans now face lifetime bans if they misbehave on trainsFootball supporters caught committing crimes while travelling to or from Leeds United games by train could face a life ban from the club.

Yorkshire Post

• North Yorkshire road deaths rate at lowest in 25 yearsThe number of deaths on the roads of North Yorkshire fell to its lowest level in a quarter of century last year, new figures have revealed.

Blackpool Gazette

• BREAKING: Helicopter crash which killed four ‘accidental’A coroner’s jury has ruled that a helicopter crash which killed a Thornton pilot, Tory peer Lord Ballyedmond and two others was an accident.

Bucks Free Press

• New coach services to start in High Wycombe on Monday A new coach station which will run National Express UK services to London Victoria, Birmingham, Heathrow Airport and Glasgow will open on Monday.

North Wales Live

• Wirral Council scraps �1.1m Hamilton Square traffic plan in favour of "wider regeneration" Proposals came under fire from councillors and business owners

Peterborough Telegraph

• Pilot from Stamford completes UK to Australia biplane flightA British flyer said she was “euphoric” at completing her “huge adventure” after touching down in Sydney at the end of a 13,000-mile solo flight from Britain to Australia in a vintage open cockpit biplane.
• Raising Welney road ‘could cost £5 million’, summit toldRaising the level of a Fenland road in order to cut the time it is shut by floods could cost almost five times as much as previously thought.

Reading Evening Post

• Have your say on the planned car parking charges in Wokingham Wokingham Borough Council plan to charge £1 during weekends and evenings in its car parks.

Other Regional Press

• New bus route to Didcot's revamped shopping centre wins backing of highway chiefs COUNTY council leaders have backed a new bus route to serve passengers travelling to the revamped Orchard shopping centre in Didcot.
• More than �15m spent to repair potholes and worn out roads in Oxfordshire- send us your pothole pictures More than �15.2m was spent on repairing potholes and worn out roads in Oxfordshire in the last financial year.
• Warning as burglars use fishing rods and coat hangers to 'try and steal keys through letterboxes' Three such incidents have been reported so far this month, one in the Stockton area and two in Middlesbrough
• Busy weekend on the tracks as East Coast mainline trains divert through TeessideMainline closure means trains are to be re-routed through Eaglescliffe and Stockton for a second weekend
• Heysham M6 link: Road closures planned as part of worksMotorists are being advised of upcoming road closures as part of the M6 link works.
• Partying pensioners forced to stop nights out after late bus banPENSIONERS are being forced to park their partying ways after housing association bosses halted a bus service after 5pm.
• Outlane residents hit out after "catalogue" of black ice accidents on Round Ings RoadConcerns over spate of accidents on ice
• Warning as car thieves use fishing rods to steal keys through letterboxesCheeky thieves have been using fishing rods to steal car keys through drivers' letterboxes.
• Work set to start on fixing flood-prone Dorset road ENGINEERS are set to start work to prevent flooding on the West Stafford bypass.
• New date for bridge and road closures as demolition of Royal Mail building enters final stages The Canal Basin footbridge will be closed on Sunday, with roads closed from Saturday for maximum of two weeks
• Water-relief as busy Hitchin road now open again after sinkhole repairsA busy Hitchin road closed to traffic due to essential water mains work stemming from a sinkhole has reopened again this evening.
• Fatal helicopter crash details revealedTwo men who were killed when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed at Flamborough, had been offered alternative transport before taking off again in 'thick fog'.
• No westbound trains from Swindon during signal upgrade work THERE will be no westbound trains from Swindon next weekend while Network Rail carries out the penultimate stage of a major signalling upgrade around the town.
• J25 of the M5 closed nightly for the next week JUNCTION 25 of the M5 at Taunton is being closed nightly from 9pm until 6am until Friday, January 22 during resurfacing northbound between the slip roads.
• New bus route to Didcot's revamped shopping centre wins backing of highway chiefs COUNTY council leaders have backed a new bus route to serve passengers travelling to the revamped Orchard shopping centre in Didcot.
• Bus users will have to shell out more as fares increase BUS users in Oxford are going to be shelling out more for their SmartZone tickets as prices rise at the end of the month.�
• Motorists warned to brace themselves for nine months of works at busy junction MOTORISTS are bracing themselves for nearly a year of traffic chaos when the second set of major roadworks in 12 months gets under way on a busy Hampshire motorway.

Forbes

• Cheap Gasoline Will Kill The Electric Car AgainLow gasoline prices will hurt the sales of hybrid and battery electric vehicles, but the impact on carmakers may depend on actions in Washington.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Record order of Scania trucks from StobartEddie Stobart has placed an order with Scania for over 2,000 trucks, marking the vehicle manufacturer's largest ever order in Europe, reports Logistics Manager. The trucks ordered include G-series 4x2 sleeper cab tractor units and R-series 6x2 mid-lift and 6.2/4 twin-steer tractor units, which all feature Scania Highline cabs. Thought has been given to the carbon footprint that the trucks will leave during their travel and distribution and the order has specified 410 and 450 horsepower SCR-only Euro 6 engines. When ready, the vehicles will be dispatched to Stobart and several of its other comp...

Railway Gazette

• Arriva and Schenker sell-off decision delayedGERMANY: Plans announced last July for the possible part-privatisation of Deutsche Bahn...

Aviation Industry

• Low-cost carrier Ryanair to enter domestic airline industryLow-cost carrier Ryanair announced on January 14 the opening of its 78th base at Timisoara's 'Traian Vuia' International Airport. The base, for which Ryanair will allocate one airplane, represents an investment of EUR 100 M and will become operational on November 1, according to the information offered by company representatives.

Other News Sources

• Fears over market town being 'cut off' if last bus is scrapped COUNCILLORS of a rural town feel they will be 'cut off' if an evening bus service is scrapped by the council.
• Shipping delays expected as Australian port strikes widenDisruptions and delays to shipping in Australian ports is set to escalate next week after Svitzer lost a bid to have the Fair Work Commission rule against further protected action today (15 January).
• 'No emissions fraud' in Renault engines as stocks plummet French ministers have reassured Renault owners and investors that no performance-modifying software was detected in engines of Renault vehicles following reports that fraud investigators had inspected three of the carmaker's sites.
• Councillors call for return of parking scratch cards for motorists put off by mobile phone payments COUNCILLORS are calling for the return of scratch cards to help motorists struggling with pay-by-phone parking.
• Call to compensate villagers and businesses hit by three-month road closure BUSINESSES and residents could be compensated for lost income and inconvenience caused by a three month road closure.
• Heated roads and manual gritting offered as options to tackle icy roads HEATING the roads, manual gritters and winter tyres have all been put forward by experts as ideas to avoid accidents on icy roads.